Mercruiser 3.0 reliability and overall maintenance?

[Grub54891]

All three of my boats have the 3.0 all from the 1980's. They are still going strong. Fresh water boats last a long time. Well not so much the boat, but the motors do if taken care of. One I call my beater boat, I'm not real nice to, but it keeps on going.

 

[Ricksta7]

All three of my boats have the 3.0 all from the 1980's. They are still going strong. Fresh water boats last a long time. Well not so much the boat, but the motors do if taken care of. One I call my beater boat, I'm not real nice to, but it keeps on going.

Good to know mate! Thanks

 

[Rick Stephens]

If you purchase said boat, you will need to do all scheduled maintenance. Especially since you intend to take it out in the big briney. Assume that the shops doing all the previous maintenance skipped anything and everything. I would be buying a set of manifold gaskets and pulling it off. Inspect the manis, the flapper, and the exhaust valves. Pull the plugs, inspect them, Do a compression check (there is a specific procedure for this that we can help you with).

Pull the drive and drain it. Inspect carefully all rubber in the transom housing. Test the lower shift cable by disconnecting at the motor. Should be butter smooth. Check operation of interrupt switch, and check the adjustment of the shift linkage.

Drain the drive and split the cases. Replace the water pump - maybe just the impeller, but if signs of wear on housing, it too. LOOK at the oil you drain and there should be a magnetic drain plug on the bottom. Look what's on it. A little fuzz is normal.

With drive off inspect and lube, if not sealed, the u-joints and gimbal bearing. They must be perfect.

 

[Ricksta7]

If you purchase said boat, you will need to do all scheduled maintenance. Especially since you intend to take it out in the big briney. Assume that the shops doing all the previous maintenance skipped anything and everything. I would be buying a set of manifold gaskets and pulling it off. Inspect the manis, the flapper, and the exhaust valves. Pull the plugs, inspect them, Do a compression check (there is a specific procedure for this that we can help you with).

Pull the drive and drain it. Inspect carefully all rubber in the transom housing. Test the lower shift cable by disconnecting at the motor. Should be butter smooth. Check operation of interrupt switch, and check the adjustment of the shift linkage.

Drain the drive and split the cases. Replace the water pump - maybe just the impeller, but if signs of wear on housing, it too. LOOK at the oil you drain and there should be a magnetic drain plug on the bottom. Look what's on it. A little fuzz is normal.

With drive off inspect and lube, if not sealed, the u-joints and gimbal bearing. They must be perfect.

Wow this is alot... especially for me to do who isn't exactly mechanically minded especially with marine. I was thinking of going to take it to get a look over and service before I take it out anyway. Thanks for your input

 

[Rick Stephens]

Wow this is alot... especially for me to do who isn't exactly mechanically minded especially with marine. I was thinking of going to take it to get a look over and service before I take it out anyway. Thanks for your input

Yes, it is a lot. But so is breaking down 10 miles from anywhere, or taking on water, with your family onboard.

Boats are expensive to maintain. Only thing more expensive is owning an airplane. Most used boats are sold after the owner got tired of the expense and had stopped doing the maintenance a while ago.

The annual maintenance on a Mercruiser is pretty steep when it is all maintained every year by an hourly shop. Every year: inspections, oil changes, drive removal, greasing, every five or seven years replacing the water pump impeller, exhaust system, rubber bellows, gimbal bearing and u-joints, drive reseal and so on. If you pay someone else, it will cost a lot. This forum is generally for those who do their own servicing and repairs. If you are going to take it to a mechanic, and you don't have the generous finances to allow it, you will eventually wish you had not bought a boat at all.

 

[bruceb58]

Won’t be doing 46 mph genuine gps then.

Won't even be doing 40MPH

 

[bruceb58]

A lot depends on how the boat is taken care of. Sea rays and Bayliners are not the best built boats in the world so they have to be very well taken care of to last.

 

[Lou C]

Should I be worried about the replacement of the manifold or is this just done as a maintenance thing cos of corrosion?

No since the intake/exhaust manifold is all one unit on these you’d normally replace the whole thing when the exhaust is due for replacement like I said every 5-7 seasons in salt water. If you want truly low maintenance no I/O boat will give you that. Only modern outboards are low maintenance but; after 10-15 years in salt water they are on borrowed time due to potential corrosion rotting thru on cyl heads, blocks, or causing head gasket leaks due to eroded sealing surfaces. If starting brand new a cast iron inboard if equipped with closed cooling will actually outlast an outboard.

 

[paulswagelock]

A lot depends on how the boat is taken care of. Sea rays and Bayliners are not the best built boats in the world so they have to be very well taken care of to last.

Bayliner sure, Sea Ray - you are incorrect on that one. Sea Ray has a few decade run of well built boats.

 

[bruceb58]

Bayliner sure, Sea Ray - you are incorrect on that one. Sea Ray has a few decade run of well built boats.

SeaRay took a major hit after Brunswick bought them. They are almost identical quality now. They were even both made in the same factory in Tennessee. That factory may have closed by now.

 

[paulswagelock]

SeaRay took a major hit after Brunswick bought them. They are almost identical quality now. They were even both made in the same factory in Tennessee. That factory may have closed by now.

Not correct. I have been to the Sea Ray factory in Tennessee and they exclusively make SR there, not Bayliner. I have owned SR and Bayliner boats and there is a big difference between them in quality, and price. Your information is not accurate and sounds like hearsay. We are off topic on this thread though.

 

[QBhoy]

Not correct. I have been to the Sea Ray factory in Tennessee and they exclusively make SR there, not Bayliner. I have owned SR and Bayliner boats and there is a big difference between them in quality, and price. Your information is not accurate and sounds like hearsay. We are off topic on this thread though.

I’ve got to sit on the fence a little here. Searay are very common over here over the years. The old sea rays from the 80’s and early 90’s were of a decent quality, as far as the boats we see come across here from there are concerned. But late 90’s and early 2000’s they definitely took a dip in quality for sure. Some of the bow rider models from the late 90’s were jusy nasty cheap for quality.
Then I noticed a real improvement later on. I can directly compare two boats here in my yard. There is a searay 240 model from the late 90’s or early 2000’s at latest and a superceed model from 2007. That’s a 245 I think. There is a real difference in finish between them. The 2007 being much better.

 

[bruceb58]

Not correct. I have been to the Sea Ray factory in Tennessee and they exclusively make SR there, not Bayliner. I have owned SR and Bayliner boats and there is a big difference between them in quality, and price. Your information is not accurate and sounds like hearsay. We are off topic on this thread though.

When did you go through the factory? Sorry...but they were built on the same line. Not hearsay.

I would never buy a recently made SeaRay....or Bayliner.

I just bought a Cobalt R5 and was looking at the SeaRay SDX series. Not even in the same universe.

Sea Ray - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[bruceb58]

deleted

 

[1960 Starflite]

I have a 1979 Century 190 with this engine. Bought it used 30 years ago. It's been a great engine, but not a speed boat. 42mph is the best I've done with just me onboard on smooth water.

No real problems with this engine. Super easy to work on, at least in this old Century. Great utility engine, just don't expect to win a race.

 

[paulswagelock]

When did you go through the factory? Sorry...but they were built on the same line. Not hearsay.

I would never buy a recently made SeaRay....or Bayliner.

I just bought a Cobalt R5 and was looking at the SeaRay SDX series. Not even in the same universe.

Sea Ray - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

View attachment 333169

I was in the plant in 2018. It is their Tellico plant in Vonore, where they made and still make Sea Ray boats exclusively. Brunswick might have other plants in Tennessee where their Bayliner boats are made, I have no idea. What I do know is that Sea Ray (at least 25’ and above) is made only at that plant in Tennessee.
Now, comparing the SDX line to Cobalt - I agree with you, not the same caliber boat. But also no where near the same price point either.
Cobalt, Formula, maybe a few others are top tier boats, and priced as such. Sea Ray, Regal, Crownline - mid to upper mid tier. Bayliner, Tahoe and others lower tier.

 

[bruceb58]

I was in the plant in 2018. It is their Tellico plant in Vonore, where they made and still make Sea Ray boats exclusively. Brunswick might have other plants in Tennessee where their Bayliner boats are made, I have no idea. What I do know is that Sea Ray (at least 25’ and above) is made only at that plant in Tennessee.
Now, comparing the SDX line to Cobalt - I agree with you, not the same caliber boat. But also no where near the same price point either.
Cobalt, Formula, maybe a few others are top tier boats, and priced as such. Sea Ray, Regal, Crownline - mid to upper mid tier. Bayliner, Tahoe and others lower tier.

Yes...but what I stated is completely accurate. Bayliner and Searay boats are made in the same factory...maybe not the factory you were in, but yes in other factories. I equate Searay with the Maxum boats. Same basic quality as a Bayliner with a little bit of lipstick added.

 

[Scott06]

Yes...but what I stated is completely accurate. Bayliner and Searay boats are made in the same factory...maybe not the factory you were in, but yes in other factories. I equate Searay with the Maxum boats. Same basic quality as a Bayliner with a little bit of lipstick added.

Ive had two sea rays a 1991 170, and currently have a 2004 200 sport. I will agree the 04 finishes are less high end than the 91 ( compared to typical lake bowrider) also totally agree that on the smaller boats bayliner has come up in quality signifcantly and searay maybe has come down some ( basically merged the two lines under brunswick) in Finish level.

certainly some of the higher cost boats named in this thread are higher end but One thing i have seen in both my searays is better quality fabric (interior, bimini, covers) than most of the boats my friends and neighbors have at the lake.

The 91 interior had some small tears at a few seams but was still very presentable after 25 years when i sold it, the 2004 still looks really good no tears after 16 years now. Biggest difference between the two the hull on the 2004 is heavy and solid handles rough (40 mile long lake) water well.
bottom line- yes there are better boats, but for typical bowrider use (aka not offshore) the two sea rays ive had are an excellent long lasting value for what i paid, and I would buy another in ten years or so.

back-to the OP the 3.0 is one of the most durable and economical marine engines to have, just not powerful enough to be fast. If you are ok with a 38-40 mph top end. I miss putting $50-60 gas in and still having a qtr tank at the end of the weekend....

 

[achris]

Miles per hour, kilometres per hour.... Units for landlubbers. Be a mariner, and use knots!

 

[achris]

The prop is a solas 14 1/8 x 19

With a 3 litre turning at 4,800, the very best you'll do with that prop is 32 knots (59 km/hr if you must ). Anyone saying 75 km/hr is full of it!